Assault
by SillastraDragontongue
Summary: There's a new girl at school and she's quickly inbedded with the Jokerz . . . The first chapter's a little weird and doesn't seem to connect, but it does. If someone reviews this, I'd be soooo happy . . . Chap 8 is finally here!
1. first kill

The night was still, dark and moonless. Neither of the two moons were overhead, as the first had set several hours before and the other was in its wane.

That didn't matter, as the guards around the mansion wore highly advanced nightgoggles and the scopes on their gun were made to work in both night and day.

Even with their powerful goggles, they still failed to miss the two shadows that moved up past the grounds to the house, moving from shadow to shadow, shrub to shrub. It was one hour before dawn, the night was old, and the temperature was dropping steadily. Those guards outside couldn't see far past their clouding breaths, advanced nightgoggles or not, and one of the shadows detached from the shadow of a bush just as one guard yawned widely.

That shadow moved across the lawn quickly, barely made out to be a faintly humanoid figure, and stopped at a tiny outpost. There, the figure bent and clipped several wires, looping a feed into the surveillance cameras that would last three minutes. Finishing the job, the figure fixed a cut wire and breathed several words into his comlink, alerting his partner.

In another bush at the other side of the house, another figure scurried across the lawn, inconspicuous as a mouse, and in several short seconds had scrambled up the side of the house, finding nearly invisible handholds in the grey stone.

The mansion itself was heavily guarded, with bars and locks on every window, and a guard on every balcony. The room the figure wanted didn't have a balcony, but that wasn't the aim.

Reaching a tiny bathroom window connected to the target's balcony-less bedroom, the shadow disabled the motion-detecting alarm and picked the rather simple lock.

Climbing through the window deemed too small for someone to fit through, the figure slid to the floor. The window was too small for a man, but for a slim-hipped, flexible woman, it was no great feat. Rubbing hips and shoulders, she set a covered ear against the bathroom door, and, after detecting no one awake in the room, eased the door open, lifting up so it wouldn't creak.

Scanning the room quickly, she spotted her target, a large lump on the four-post bed under the covers. The target's stomach protruded up as he slept, looking like a miniature mountain.

Stalking over to the bed, the figure moved very quickly, taking out a tiny polyester parcel and slipping a polyester glove onto one hand, over another glove. Using tweezers in her second-gloved hand, she carefully took out a large pill of perchloric acid.

Moving fast as the tweezers dissolved in her hand, she touched it to the target's lips, her lips curling in disgust as the solution immediately started dissolving skin and bone.

The target's eyes fluttered open to the pain, and she hit him across the head, causing him to fall back, unconscious but wreathing as the perchloric acid dissolved him. Inarticulate groans started from his half-dissolved throat, and she looked away in disgust, trying hard not to gag at the smell of burnt and peeling flesh.

Removing her glove, the figure carefully put it into the parcel with the nearly dissolved tweezers, and silently slipped back into the bathroom.

After reactivating the motion detector, she locked the window, then moved back into the bedroom. Going to one of the windows, the figure carefully began to unlock it, disabling every tedious alarm, sweat beading her covered brow as the shadow near the outpost whispered the three minutes was almost up.

Finishing with the window, she climbed out, and, hanging over the sill, closed the window. Climbing back down the wall, the figure jumped down to the ground, landing silently and gracefully on her feet, and rejoined the shadows, meeting up with the other living shadow just as the change of guards came, marking the day to begin.

Later that day, as the two figures were eating lunch in a deli, dressed in street clothes, it was announced that business tycoon Fred Randolph O'Conny had been murdered by unknown assailants in the dead of night. It was not mentioned that he profited from graft and skimming, or that he raped little girls and boys on a regular basis, or that those little boys and girls, none over ten, were disposed of quickly afterwards, to be sold as slaves in the booming black market. He was called a great man, and a huge reward was posted for any information on the assailants.

A day later, the two assassins collected their money for the job and went on to their next assignment. It was on the same planet, but on the other side of the world. They didn't worry about being caught for their crime.

The murder case soon dissolved from lack of evidence, and while some money was given out for information, it turned out to be completely bogus.

Freddy Rudolph O'Conny's murder was never solved.


	2. school days

"School! Me? Is this really necessary, Bruce?" Chandre Zividia asked, slightly shocked. She had known that she would probably have to do something undercover, but never this. Generally a mercenary of her caliber didn't hear things like this. Then again, they didn't have an employer like hers.

"You're younger than your partner, Chandre," her employer, Bruce Wayne, said. "And you won't raise eyebrows." Beside her, her partner, Cazikov Shindle, nicknamed Shi, sniggered. Chandre was really very good looking, and about as ordinary as a monkey in heels. "Do I really have to list the other reasons?"

"No, no you don't," Chandre replied. She knew very well that a flash of leg and breast would entice a man–or boy–better than masculine muscle, and she could probably work her way in to the circle of rich high school kids easier than Shi. "You'd better be bankrolling my supplies, though. Teenage girls need lots of clothes, and money too. Especially the daughter of a billionaire."

Bruce smiled and nodded, and she nodded back. He had hired her and Shi for two jobs: the first, to figure out who was shipping a lethal, addictive drug called Duffers to high school students. Bruce had already figured out that the group involved was a gang called the Jokerz, and he knew who the leader of the Jokerz was, but he wasn't going to make a move and go to the police without evidence of who the person supplying the money and drugs was. As he had been Batman for a long time, he had had lots of experience in working with the police, and the fact that he hadn't figured out who was behind the drugs or why meant that the person behind was very good at covering tracks. The reason he had hired Chandre and Shi for the job was because they were very good at what they did, and he knew their real "boss," the woman who ran the organization that Chandre and Shi belonged to and sent most of the money they made to. The second was because Chandre was a telepath and minor telekinetic, and Shi had an extensive knowledge of explosives and guns, and they were both walking death on two feet, armed or not. They also had a reputation of being very, very good.

The second job was for Chandre and Shi to train Bruce's protégé, the new Batman. This had to happen after they uncovered the drug scandal, as Bruce's protégé was still in high school, and he couldn't recognize Chandre, or her cover could be blown. The reason he wasn't trying to figure out the scandal was because he couldn't get into the Jokerz, as he didn't have the money and everyone knew it. The second reason was that Bruce hadn't told him, and the boy, Terry McGuiness, wasn't as experienced as he'd like to think. Although, Chandre was surprised to learn, he was only a year younger than her nineteen Standards.

"I also want a pretty foolproof background," Chandre added. "If this Shadow guy's as good as you think, then he's gonna have background checks on everyone. If I recall correctly from your previous years, you're pretty good at that."

"I know a bit," Bruce replied. "You'll start school Monday." He reached into a pocket and drew out a credit chip. "Try not to spend all of it."

"Course not, boss," Chandre said. Looking at Shi, who was leaning against a desk looking stoic, she asked, innocently, "Want to come with me and be girly?"

He raised his hands and backed away. "I have an image to maintain."

Grinning, Chandre lightly punched him on the shoulder and left.


	3. flashing leg

The next Monday, in through the main doors of St. Vincent High School strode an incredibly beautiful girl. Her pale green eyes twinkled under mascara-clumped eyelashes, and her red hair hung to her waist, swaying as she walked. A black mini hung two inches from her ass, and a tight white tank stretched across well-shaped breasts. Everything she wore was in style and of the most expensive brands. She fit in with all of the trendy girls at the school, but stood out a bit because of her stunning red hair.

Passing by a group of jocks, several of which were Jokerz, she tossed her hair unconsciously, and stopped by her locker.

Bending down to put her new textbooks on the bottom, Chandre smiled to herself as her target, one Bobby Greenback, a loyal member of the Jokerz and rich, so in her persona's class, walked up to her and leaned on the locker beside hers. His friends hung back, drooling slightly.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," Chandre replied. The first bell rang, signaling that they had five minutes to get to their first class.

"I'm Bobby Greenback," the kid said. "You new here?"

Great pick-up line, Chandre thought sarcastically, but said aloud, "Yeah. Charlotte DelaSangre." Inwardly, she thought, ironic, Bruce, to choose that last name. Flustering slightly, she dug into her purse and pulled out her much battered schedule. "Could you help me find my next class? I can't seem to find my way around this school."

Bobby grinned, and said, "Sure." Companionably he wrapped an arm about her waist, and she didn't resist. As they walked down the hall to her next class, he turned his head back towards his friends and shot them a superior look. Chandre pretended not to notice.

Over her comlink, Shi murmured, _"At least he has nice pecs for a monkey, right?"_ Chandre tried not to roll her eyes. Bobby Greenback was as ape-like as they came. On the evolutionary scale, he was just below a lemur. Size wise, he was as big as a gorilla, if about an eighth as strong.

On the way to class, he informed her that he was a starting linebacker for the football team and that he could bench four hundred fifty pounds. Talking as much as she had to for her character, she managed to charm him, and by the time they got to her first period class he had gotten up the courage to ask her to a movie. Agreeing, Chandre walked in. This was going to be easier than she thought.

Completely ignoring her class, calculus, as any rich, rebellious girl would do if her future was secured, Chandre idly doodled on her notebook as the teacher droned on. The teacher didn't call on her. Her next class was physics, which she shared with Bruce's protégé, Terry McGuiness. He shared that with one of his friends, and they talked a bit, but mostly paid attention.

Chandre ignored her soon-to-be pupil and the class, stifling a yawn as she gave herself a manicure. She had learned physics and math a long time ago. The only subject she wasn't very strong in in this school was the history of this planet, as it wasn't one she was normally on. So in history, as she doodled she really paid attention, absorbing the words with interest. Perhaps she'd read up on this Battle of Leponts when she had time a little later. In the meantime, she had to stay in character.

She ate lunch with Bobby, and met his group, along with the leader of the Jokerz, Nelson Francheszo, the quarterback of the football team and son of millionaire Daniel Francheszo. He regarded her with interest, but little else.

In P.E., she made a bit deal over being too cool for this sort of thing. Rich girls didn't climb ropes–they could break a nail. She shared this class with Bobby and Terry, and several other people, several of whom she recognized as being in Bobby's group.

Making her way over to them, she sat down beside them and listened as the teacher said they'd be wrestling. The girls wouldn't, just the boys, as the girls would be watching. Resisting the urge to curl her lip, Chandre thought, how typical. This planet seemed like those cheap vids of an era called "1950s Earth." Guys were macho, girls were dolls.

At the end of the day, she went out with Bobby, and they went to a movie, although they spent little time watching, as Bobby wanted to try out some "cool" tongue moves.


	4. blending in

The weeks passed in much the same fashion as that first day, as they weren't going to put her in their group yet, or introduce her to the Jokerz, but she knew that it was only a matter of time, for she was getting closer and closer into their group, going out with them many times on various occasions, although they never donned their Jokerz costumes and did anything.

She had a hard time trying to stay away from either Terry or his friend, Max, who she caught watching her at odd times. They seemed to suspect her for some reason. Once, while they were playing dodgeball in class, she sensed a ball coming straight at her back with senses honed to attacks from the rear, and twisted out of the way, turning at the same time to face whoever had thrown it.

Looking around to see if anyone had seen, she gave an inward sigh of relief when no one did, and then she saw Terry watching her. He had thrown the ball at her, to get her out. Frowning, she threw another ball at him, wimpily, but he dodged it easily and threw a ball at her. Forcing herself not to dodge it, she caught it with upraised arms and was out of the game.

Three weeks into her undercover job, she was escorted by Bobby to the Jokerz secret hiding place, an abandoned house, and handed a costume. Putting it on, she affected giddiness, and was surrounded by the group of Jokerz, also in costume.

Nelson stepped forwards, and said, "This is your trial run. If you do well on this night, you will be inducted into the Jokerz."

"If not?" Chandre asked.

Nelson smiled. "You don't want to know what will happen."

Chandre gave a hesitant grin and followed them down to the garage, where an array of motorcycles sat. The Jokerz carefully hooked trailers up onto the backs of the motorcycles, and got on, revving the bikes up. Carefully she got on behind Bobby and wrapped her hands about his waist.

They sped downtown, the night air rushing past her. Knowing that Shi could trace her path through her comlink, which was also a tracking device, she held onto Bobby, shivering slightly as the night air buffeted her skin.

The docks rose up after a while and she inhaled the salt-air, wondering which ship the drugs had been stored away on. On the far side of the docks she saw a boat, smallish compared to the other huge ships docked, but big enough to travel over the seas easily.

Several men dressed in black were unloading boxes from the boat, passing them down to the next man in line and stacking them in a pile in front of the ship. The Jokerz sped right over to the boat, parking with squealing tires.

Bobby cut the engine to his bike and got off, Chandre following. Nelson walked over to the captain of the boat, and they talked for several moments. Chandre noted a small sum of money being passed, and wondered just what it was for. Turning to Bobby, she asked quietly, "What're we doing?"

"You wanted adventure, right?" he asked with a grin. Chandre nodded. "This is the adventure." She followed him over to the stack of boxes and watched as he lifted one up with a grunt. The kid wasn't as strong as he made out to be.

The boxes were soon loaded up onto the trailers, and Nelson finished talking to the captain. Looking around cautiously, he mounted his bike and motioned for them to ride out. Chandre hopped on behind Bobby, and they sped back to their hideout. Chandre was impressed that no one looked the other way at them, and that neither Batman nor the police were coming after them, for she knew that Terry was wandering around this area. Perhaps Bruce had warned him off the direction of the docks.


	5. sneak

Chandre went on four more such runs, and soon learned that what they were carrying in the boxes was the drug she was supposed to be looking for. However, she hadn't figured out just who bankrolled this little operation, or where the boxes went after they were delivered to the Jokerz. It seemed no one knew this but Nelson, and she wasn't close enough to him to find out where. She and Shi nicknamed the mysterious bankroller the Shadowman.

Although she was a telepath, she was averse to probing people's minds, and only did brief scans. Nelson's mind revealed nothing from those scans, and neither did the captain of the ship, Draco. The captain's mind was perfectly trained to block out her little forays, and she could find nothing past his shields, although she knew very well that if she had to, she could break past those shields like a baseball bat swinging into a set of china. Unfortunately, the results were pretty close to being the same.

Walking up the hill to Bruce's mansion after being dropped off by Bobby after the fourth run, as she explained that she was staying with her father at this old geezer's mansion, Chandre opened and closed the front door with a sigh, leaning down to peel off her shoes. Grimacing at her blisters, she sighed and walked down to the hidden Batcave barefoot, wincing every so often. Her blisters weren't that bad, but she didn't like undue discomfort. And those heels were undue discomfort.

Entering through the hidden door, Chandre paused, hearing voices. Bruce's voice she recognized, and Terry's. Closing the door, she crept back into the main house, and hid her shoes before heading back down, moving quietly. Shi would be hidden somewhere around here, she knew, and she had to talk to Bruce.

The hidden door opened just as she was crossing towards it, planning to hide somewhere in one of the dark corridors, and she quietly slunk back into the shadows, behind an ancient suit of armor. One of the blisters on her feet popped, and she winced, but stayed still.

Terry walked past her, and she stayed deathly still, chest barely moving to breath. He was muttering to himself, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Once he had walked out of the hall and was out of the house, Chandre moved out from behind the armor and down the secret entrance to the Batcave after examining her foot.

Walking down the stairs quickly and silently, she entered the room where Bruce normally sat in front of his computer, and wasn't surprised to see Shi there, sitting back in a chair and talking comfortably with his employer.

He looked up when she came in, even though she had made no sound, and nodded slightly in greeting.

"How was the run?" he asked.

Chandre sighed and leaned against a console, taking the weight off her feet. "It's always the same little charade. I learned nothing more than the last three. Did you hear anything that I missed?" Shi had been listening to the runs through her comlink.

He shook his head. "Nope. I say that we take a little jaunt in the ship next time. Can you make it out of one run?"

Chandre nodded. "I can say that daddy-dearest is forcing me to go to some play," she said. "Bruce, any comments?"

The old man shook his head. "No. But you should go about this carefully. Who knows what they have for surveillance in that ship."

Shi smiled slightly. "Hey, we're professionals, Bruce. We can get in anywhere, anytime, anyway." He didn't mention the O'Conny foray. The less anyone knew, the better.

"How about out of death?" the old man countered. "One false step . . ."

"Do we tell you to do your job?" Chandre asked, patting her employer on the shoulder. "Trust me, Bruce. We'll get in and out, and possibly get some info on the Shadowman in the process."

"When's the next run?" Bruce asked.

"Next week," Chandre replied.

"Good," Shi said, rising. "My fingers have been itching to do something around here instead of just sitting around while you do the work."


	6. entering

"Well, that's a bitch," Shi muttered, peering up at the tiny hole into the ship.

"What?" Chandre asked, tearing her eyes away from the meeting with Nelson and the captain of the ship, watching the money switch hands in their familiar role. She had copped out of this run, saying that her "father" was forcing her to go to this awful party, and that there was no way she was getting out of it.

Staring at the hole, she winced in sympathy. Shi wouldn't be able to get through it, as it was just the tiniest bit too small for him even when he contorted the most. "Is there any other way?" she asked, raising her wrist to indicate the needed time.

Shi shook his head. "Scanned. Others are blocked. You go."

Moving carefully over to him, she lifted herself up into the hole, and peered inside. It was the entrance to a cargo hold. Quickly she hoisted herself further up into the hole, scrunching her shoulders together. It was a tight fit. Falling back to the floor of the hold, she landed silently on her hands and knees, pausing to make sure she wasn't making any sound.

Turning back, she saw Shi at the hole, and flashed the "all's well" signal. He nodded, gestured that he'd be listening over the comlink, and went to look out.

Crouching carefully past several crates, Chandre sniffed carefully, touching one briefly, and almost coughed as she inhaled pure hellogens, a new and intoxicating drug. Putting a hand to her mouth, she wiped away her tearing eyes before the tears fell to the ground, and moved on.

At one crate she stopped, and took out a tiny handheld. Moving quickly, she undid the top of the crate with her gloved hands. Untying the sack of drugs, she took a quick picture in the camera phase, then tied the sack in the exact same way she had seen before, and put the lid back on.

Hearing a noise, she slid down behind the crate, then slunk away behind another, freezing. After a while, there were no more sounds indicating human presence, and she moved on, towards the door to the main hallway.

Looking around for any other entrances into the room, she saw none, and moved to the door cautiously. Putting an ear to the thin metal sheet, she listened carefully with both mind and ears, and hearing no one, slipped out into the hall after picking the lock to the door.

The hall was empty, and Chandre moved down it quickly, as intangible and quiet as smoke. Finding the captain's hold, she quickly picked the locks and deactivated the alarms, slid the door open and moved inside.

"I'm in the cabin," she murmured to Shi.

_"You've got three minutes,"_ was the reply. _"They're almost done loading the trailers. The captain's still on the dock."_

Nodding absently as she scanned the room, she took out her handheld again and opened drawers in the big desk. Riffling through papers, she took pictures of them all, then placed them carefully back where they had been, moving at a quick and methodical pace. Finishing with that in a minute, she came to the computer, and almost groaned. That could take hours. Fortunately she had a disk that would automatically copy the entire contents of the computer.

Slipping the disk into the computer, she pressed a key, and searched the rest of the room while she waited for the disk to finish copying. Taking several pictures as she went, she frowned, seeing nothing that piqued her interest or that looked like it would point to the Shadowman. There were several pictures on the bulkheads, and she dutifully took pictures of those, but nothing else.

_"They're coming inside,"_ Shi murmured. _"Hurry out."_

Sucking in a breath, Chandre was just about to bend down to take the disk from the computer when she spotted a hidden compartment in the floor, directly under the desk. She had already looked the desk over for hidden compartments, but not the floor.

Fingers groping, she picked the lock with a bit of wire and reached inside. Taking out several sheets of paper, she didn't bother looking at them, just quickly snapped pictures. Finishing with the last, she carefully tucked the last paper back in and shut the compartment.

Standing up to take the disk out of the computer, she heard someone outside the door, and the handle twisted. Eyes widening, she ducked back under the table and braced herself up against it so that whoever was entering wouldn't see her feet.

The door opened, and she winced as someone took several steps into the room.

"Huh, musta forgotten to lock it," the captain said gruffly from several feet away.

"Hey captain!" someone called.

"Eh?"

"We need ya here. Looks like trouble."

"Trouble? One moment," the captain said, and hurried inside.

He passed right past Chandre, who stared at his backside while he grabbed a thicker coat from the coat hanger behind the desk and walked outside without looking towards his desk, muttering about the cold.

The door snicked shut behind her, and she let out a relieved breath. Dropping down after she felt no minds nearby, Chandre popped the disk out and slipped it into a waterproof pocket along with her handheld.

The floor suddenly lurched from under her, and she fell to the floor, bracing herself with her hands. "What was that?" she murmured to Shi.

_"They started the engines,"_ he hissed. _"Get out of there."_

"See you in a sec," she whispered, and hurried towards the door, glancing at the window, to check to see if they were, indeed, moving. They were, and pulling out fast.

Checking the door, she paused as several people came down the hall, hand on the knob. After another several moments, a couple more people came down, bootheels clicking on the hard grated floors.

Muttering a curse, she waited until they were all gone, but then she heard the captain's mind come towards her, his outer shields letting through some angry yet excited emotion.

Backing away from the door, Chandre went to the window and popped it open. It was slightly smaller than the one she had crawled through to get onto the ship, and it would be a very tight squeeze. She might be slender, but she wasn't small.

Hearing him come closer, she lifted herself up, and checked to make sure no one was looking down at the moment she was climbing out. Squeezing her shoulders through the opening, Chandre heard the handle twist, and pulled the rest of herself out, shutting the window just as the door swung open.

Letting go as soon as the window was closed, Chandre fell thirty feet into the ice-cold water. Hitting it with a splash, she swam underwater as far away from the boat as she could get, lungs burning and ears ringing from the buzz of the propellers grating her sensitive aural organs. Luckily she had been far enough away from them so they wouldn't pull her under and grind her up.

Coming to the surface, she gasped for air, teeth chattering. When she finished panting for breath, she asked, "Shi?"

_"Hiding place,"_ he muttered with a grunt, sounding like he was running, and quickly.

Wondering what had happened to him, but too cold to press, Chandre began to swim towards the far side of the docks, teeth clattering.


	7. and breaking

Crouching near the side of the boat, Shi watched with narrowed eyes as the business below him was concluded, and everyone got back onto the boat as the Jokerz hopped on their bikes and left.

Whispering for Chandre to get back, he placed a bio scan on the boat and tried looking for her, but found nothing. The inner sides of the boat were plated with lead or something that blocked his scanners.

Getting impatient, he cursed, looking through the small hole leading into the boat. Suddenly a light scanned over his head, and he ducked, staying deathly still in the shadows, hoping that no one saw him. The people in the boat hadn't, but he felt prickles in between his shoulderblades, like someone was watching his back.

Before he could think more about it, the boat's engines started, and he jumped slightly, alarmed. Chandre still hadn't come out, and he had heard nothing from her.

"The boat started," he hissed through the comlink, hoping that she wasn't in trouble. "Get out of there."

_"See you in a sec,"_ she replied, and didn't elaborate.

Grating his teeth, Shi felt that prickle again, just as the boat began to move away from the dock, and he quickly retreated back into more solid shadows, looking around for whoever was watching him.

Something swooped down in front of him, and he immediately rolled out of the way, narrowly dodging a fist. Cursing himself at his ineptness, he rolled onto his feet and stared at Bruce's protégé, Terry. Angry now, as Bruce was supposed to have told the boy to stay away from the docks, Shi moved into a defensive crouch, then rethought that move, and whirled, running quickly. His mission wasn't to fight, but to get away and find Chandre, and find out what she had discovered on the boat.

Footsteps behind him alerted him to the fact that he was being followed, and he sprinted faster, hoping to lose the kid before having to turn and fight.

Something hissed behind him and he moved his head slightly, narrowly missing a batwing that had been flung directly at his head. The sputter of the jetpacks on the kid's feet made him speed up a bit more, and he rounded a corner just as the kid zoomed out. Hitting the side of the wall hard, Shi caught his breath and watched as the kid sped past him, unable to slow his momentum so fast.

Lips lifting to bare his teeth, he didn't wait for the kid to land, but dashed down the sidestreet, sticking to the shadows.

_"Shi?"_ Chandre asked, having no doubt arrived at his previous hiding place.

"Hiding place," he hissed, indicating the spot where they had left their street clothes.

Hearing the panting of his pursuer, Shi slowed slightly, boring of this encounter. He'd teach this kid a lesson, and a good one. Screw staying low.

Batman sped up as Shi slowed, and as the kid was diving towards him from his glide, Shi shifted just before the kid was about to hit him, and lifted an elbow, smashing it into the kid's side.

The boy gasped and fell back, but stepped too far out of Shi's way. Shi moved in, not quite advancing, but indicating that he was going to fight.

"Surrender," the kid gasped.

Shi's eyes narrowed, and the kid charged. Not even going into a defensive stance, Shi watched as the kid charged, moving incredibly fast. But then, Shi was used to that, as he fought Chandre all the time, and she was incredibly fast as well. But this kid was slower than her, and not as well trained, and he could beat his partner. The suit the kid was wearing bolstered up his reflexes and strength, but that wouldn't make up for skill.

Again, inches before the kid hit him, Shi moved, stepping behind him and driving his elbow into the kid's back. But the kid learned fast, and rolled with the blow, grabbing Shi's arm and pulling him down with him. Kicking the kid as he went down, Shi felt the kid's fingers grasp at his mask, and winced as it was pulled off. Kicking with his other foot, and flipping out a dagger from its spring-loaded armsheath, Shi hit the kid right above the kidneys with his booted foot. The kid flew back several inches, and lay still, Shi's mask clutched in his fingers.

Not bothering to cover his face, Shi dashed forwards and efficiently crushed the kid's attempt to block his coming, planting a knee on the kid's back and leaning down.

Stretching out a wing, Shi quickly slashed it with his dagger and rose, prying his mask away from the kid's fingers. Pulling it back on, he checked to make sure it was right, and flipped the dagger back into its hidden sheath, watching the kid, who was lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Ice it," Shi said helpfully, deliberating lowering his voice. He was feeling sorry for the kid. He had, after all, taken a pretty mean beating although he was lucky he wasn't dead. "Trust me, it'll feel better in a couple of days. And watch your left side."

Turning, he moved quickly into the shadows, and darted towards the alley, wondering just how good of a view the kid had gotten of his face. Not that he was going to see the kid anytime soon, or at least, not until this case cracked and he was going to be teaching the kid. Chandre was the only one who saw Terry on a regular basis, and she avoided him like the plague or made sure she was as rude as possible.

Moving only in the dark shadows and staying out of any alley with a street, Shi took a roundabout way to the hiding place, and faltered slightly when he saw Chandre, who was quickly changing into her street clothes.

Scuffing his foot deliberately, she whirled at the sound, and her shoulders relaxed slightly, her fingers retreating from her shoulder holster as she recognized him. "You okay?" she asked, teeth chattering.

"Yeah," he said, stripping out of his catsuit. "Nice swim?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," she muttered, pulling on a coat.

Lightly he touched her slightly blue lips, and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged. "I'll get warm when we get back to the mansion. What took you?"

"A little trouble," he replied lightly, pulling on a coat as well. They quickly stuffed their clothes into a hidden place, and checked to make sure that their weapons were hidden and easily accessible.

"What sort?" Chandre asked, companionably linking arms with him.

"Little run-in with Batman," Shi replied. "He's probably still curled up in the alley where I left him."

Chandre winced in sympathy for the kid. Staring at her red hair for a moment, Shi asked, "Shouldn't you be wearing a hat?"

Staring at him for a moment, she frowned, then cursed. "Damn! What if someone sees me?" she asked.

"We'd better hurry back," Shi said, and handed her his hat, watching as she carefully tucked her hair up into it. She nodded, and they quickly headed towards the house to review what they had learned with Bruce.


	8. final run

A/N: Well, after a couple weeks, months, i dunno, the next chapter is up! I think this is the second to last one, so enjoy, and I hope you like it!

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Chandre shook out her hair, wondering why her costume had to have a wig, and glanced at Bobby, who was pacing around with his usual jitters. It was a week after her excursion on the boat, and the gang was about to go on another run.

This time, however, it wasn't going to be as smooth as the previous times, for there were cops waiting in storage crates near the docks, huddled together in the lead plated crates equipped with tiny air holes, for her signal. Other cops were waiting nearby, on the premise, scattered around as workers on a ship, and would be out of the sight or scanners of the drug boat.

Moving over towards Bobby, Chandre gave him her usual calming kiss, and whispered enticingly, "I have something to show you, when we're done with this run."

Brightening, the kid asked, "Really? What?"

Before she could elucidate, Nelson said, "Let's move out."

Kissing Bobby soundly as they walked towards the bikes, Chandre climbed up behind him, catching Nelson's glance towards her and noting his frown. Wondering what had him so riled up, Chandre wrapped her arms around Bobby's waist and they sped out towards the docks.

There, she watched as the meeting was passed, helping a little load the stuff onto the trailers, and as soon as the money was exchanged, she muttered into her comlink, telling Shi to sound the cops off. He was in one of the crates, and her direct link to the cops.

Instantly the crates smashed apart, and they were surrounded by cops. Immediately the Jokerz split, Chandre with them. She had been told that she was, by all means, to follow the kids and make sure none got away. And the Jokerz had a contingency plan for a bust. They'd meet in a normally deserted alley on West Twentieth and Charneltill. She had mentioned the spot to several of the cops beforehand, but they'd taken no notice of it, confident that they'd get every one of those "punks," and choosing not to listen to her, a professional mercenary.

Tearing off after Nelson, Chandre trailed him to their spot, where she stopped beside him, panting. "Looks like we lost them," she said, pretending to gasp for air.

Nelson turned around to face her, and his face was closed. "Looks like?" he asked.

Two other Jokerz materialized behind her, slightly out of breath, and she asked, slightly bewildered but not falling out of the Charlotte character, "What do you mean?"

Nelson's face turned red, and he snarled, "You're the little spy! Charlotte DelaSangre doesn't exist! Mr. DelaSangre is a bachelor, and will never marry!"

Staying firmly in character although she wanted to gasp, Chandre repeated, "What do you mean?"

"You're a spy! A mole, a fucking double-agent!" Nelson growled. "The captain did a little background check through our sponsor."

"Impressive," Chandre said, dropping her cover and staring straight at him. "But now I'm going to turn you in."

Nelson whipped out a gun, pointing it right at her. "No way, chick. You're going down." His hand shook, but his voice was gripped with decision. Chandre rolled her eyes at his hackneyed dialogue.

His finger squeezed the trigger, but Chandre swerved out of the way and towards him, moving inside his arm and hitting his nose with the heel of her hand, breaking his nose and driving him back. The gun shot with a bang, and the bullet whizzed harmlessly into a wall.

The other two Jokerz charged her as she moved to Nelson, but faltered upon seeing her fall their leader.

Gasping in pain on the ground, Nelson gasped, "Get her!"

Kicking Nelson's hand and the gun with it, Chandre turned towards the other two and attacked, moving towards both of them at once. Punching one and kicking another, she grunted as one of their fists connected with her back, and fell back. They attacked as one, and she dropped down, swiping her feet under their legs and knocking them over. As they struggled to rise, she got up and kicked their heads viciously, hitting a soft nerve that sent them sprawling into unconsciousness.

The sound of a bullet shifting into the chamber made Chandre stop, and she whirled, seeing Nelson hold the gun, hand shaking even more as he pointed it at her with one hand and held his nose with the other.

Charging him, Chandre smashed his gunhand away from her with another discharged bullet, and she had him in a headlock, his gun in her hands, pressed to his temple. Blood from his nose dribbled down her forearm.

"Tell me, Nellie," she said as he struggled underneath her. When he only struggled harder against her hold, she cocked the gun, pressing it deeper into his forehead. He froze.

"That's better," she said. "Now, who's your sponsor?"

"Eat shit," he snarled, and gasped as she dropped the gun and moved her fingers along his neck, hitting a nerve. He screamed in pain.

Loosening her hold a little, she asked, "Who is it, Nellie? Tell me, or the pain gets worse."

"Fuck . . . you," he moaned.

About to dig into his neck again, she was interrupted by Bruce saying into her comlink, _"Get the information any way you can, Chandre. I need it now! Use your telepathy, dammit!"_

Shaking slightly, Chandre hit Nelson about the head, knocking him into unconsciousness. As his body slumped, she got off him and knelt beside him, putting his head on her lap and trembling fingers on his forehead. It went against everything she stood for to probe like this, but they needed the information fast, and this was the only way.

Taking a deep breath, she plunged into Nelson's mind, smashing past his shields like a battering ram, and sending tendrils of thought through the maelstrom of memories, searching for the sponsor.

Finding the information, she was soaking it up when someone grabbed her by the shoulder, snapping her hold on Nelson and hauling her to her feet.

Opening her eyes, Chandre gasped, seeing Bobby. But he was only concerned, and he asked hurriedly, "Charlotte? What happened?"

Sniveling, Chandre replied, falling back into her role, "Th-they attacked us, B-Bobby. I-I was so s-sc-scared!" Quickly she moved into his embrace, leaning her weight against him and off-balancing him slightly. She was tired from the fighting, and then looking into Nelson's mind. Such overreaching of her telekinetic powers, digging that deep into someone's mind, would have devastating side effects, but she could stave them off a little longer. Shi whispered into her comlink that the cops needed her statement and that they had the rest of the gang caught.

Moving away from Bobby, she said, "We've got to get out of here, Bobby!"

He nodded, and turned, about to lead her away. Chandre tensed to attack, but a shadow swooped above her and bowled into Bobby, knocking him to the ground. The two figures rolled to the ground, and Chandre didn't take any chances, she bolted. Shi and the cops needed her statement, and by running she'd stave off her crash a little longer. Also, she had a feeling that Batman, who had attacked Bobby, didn't know about her double-agent status, and would attack before letting her talk.

Hearing footsteps pursue her, Chandre pushed herself harder, feeling her muscles bunch and relax, burning as she moved faster.


End file.
